Twelve primary health care clinics were closed in Johannesburg on Thursday due to intimidation of staff by striking municipal workers, the municipality said.

"The city was forced to shut 12 of its 87 primary health care clinics on Thursday, following reports of intimidation of non-striking health workers," said City of Johannesburg spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane.

Reports of intimidation of clinic staff were received from several clinics across the city, he said.

In an incident on Wednesday at the Protea Glen Clinic, nurses on duty were apparently attacked by four men armed with knobkerries and sjamboks.

The men apparently asked the staff why they were on duty when everyone else was striking.

They received treatment at another clinic and were discharged after examination.

"The assaulted staff members were extremely traumatised and the city health department had to refer them to the employee assistance programme for counselling."

A case of assault had been opened with the police.

Modingoane advised the public to visit their nearest provincial health clinics and community health centres, if their primary health care clinics were shut.

He said that while the municipality supported workers' constitutional and legal right to strike it expected their unions to ensure they respected and upheld the rights of those not on strike, in particular essential services personnel.

Strikers should refrain from any intimidation or lawlessness, said Modingoane.

"The city health department apologises to the public for any inconvenience and is doing everything humanly possible to minimise the service delivery disruption," he said.

The strike by the South African Municipal Workers' Union and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union entered its fourth day on Thursday.

Union negotiators spent most of the day deadlocked in wage negotiations with the South African Local Government Association.

A march was held in Durban.

The Salga offer on the table includes an across-the-board 11,5 percent increase from July 1, and a 1,5 percent increase from January 1, 2010.

At the time disputes were declared with the employer, Imatu was demanding 13 percent and Samwu 15 percent.

While 125 000 Samwu members were staying away from work, most of the 70 000 Imatu members have returned to work. - Sapa

The Star

Comments by Sonny

We are civilised and the government is not behind with service delivery!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Municipal workers to down tools

South Africa's strike-weary public will have to contend with the work stoppage from Monday of at least 150 000 municipal workers seeking better pay.

The South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) plan to down tools from the beginning of next week in a move that will affect many of the country's core municipal functions.

"There is not any possible indication that the strike on Monday can be averted," Samwu general secretary Mthandeki Nhlapho told Sapa.

"But we still remain open for any meaningful suggestion or offer that we can take down to our members," he said.

He added that none had been forthcoming in the past days, and no further meetings were scheduled by Thursday afternoon.

The strike marked the first time members from the two different union federations with municipal worker affiliates would embark on joint action, Nhlapo said.

Samwu is aligned with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which is an alliance partner with the ruling African National Congress, and Imatu is aligned with the Federated Unions of South Africa, which describes itself as independent.

In the past few months South Africa has had to contend with strikes in the construction, communications, transport and mining sectors as unions and companies thrash out the best possible pay deals during a global recession.

Samwu and Imatu had rejected a mediator's proposal of a 11,5% wage increase.

Imatu had earlier accepted the offer but demanded that it should be implemented over one year and not three, as proposed by the mediator. Samwu wanted a 15% increase, with other provisions which include housing loan assistance and a minimum wage.

Further details of the strike would be announced by the unions on Friday.

A spokesperson for the South African Local Government Association, with whom the unions were negotiating, was not immediately available to comment. -- Sapa